Towards understanding Botswana and South Africa’s ambivalence to liberal democracy

ABSTRACT

Despite their recognised democratic successes, Botswana and South Africa have had ambivalent experiences with liberal democracy. It is contended that they fall somewhere in-between what scholars refer to as electoral and liberal democracies; dominant party systems within Carothers’ ‘gray zone’. Two explanations are offered. The first relates to the underlying political culture of the ruling elite: the liberal democratic values of the founders and early elites of both the African National Congress (ANC) and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) were never fully embedded; instead, their political cultures were influenced by traditions and ideologies with illiberal values. The second explanation focuses on a key feature of a liberal democracy – restraining of power, namely through encouraging an autonomous civil society and limiting executive access to the state. It is argued that for fear of losing their dominant positions, the ANC and the BDP resist restraints on their access to state power.

KEYWORDS:

• Botswana
• South Africa
• liberal democracy
• African National Congress
• Botswana Democratic Party
• dominant party system

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributors

Nicola de Jager is a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, University of Stellenbosch and Head of the Southern African division of the Transformation Research Unit (TRU). She is co-editor with Pierre du Toit of Friend or Foe? Dominant Party Systems in southern Africa: Lessons from the developing world (2013) published by UCT Press and United Nations University Press and editor of South African Politics: An Introduction (2015) published by Oxford University Press Southern Africa. Her research interests are in Southern African politics and democracy, and religion and politics.

David Sebudubudu is a Professor in Political Science and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and a former Head of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana. He is also a former Co-ordinator of the Democracy Research Project at the University of Botswana. His research interests are in civil society, the state and democracy, political corruption, ethics and accountability, African politics, debates about development and the wider political economy.

ORCID

Nicola de Jager http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6888-3135